One of my co-worker’s sons just got arrested again for dealing drugs. This was not his first offense and this time, he is going to jail for 3-5 years. Dave is devastated because he feels it is his fault. They lived in Florida for years and his son has been getting into trouble since his teens, but Dave didn’t have the heart to put him in a Florida drug rehab center. He knew he used a bit, but usually got in trouble for selling more than using so he didn’t think it was a problem.
When he got in trouble as a minor, Dave had him go through Florida drug treatment counseling, but then pulled him out because he felt guilty for putting a “kid” there. According to their lawyer now handling the case, Florida drug treatment centers could have kept him out of jail but since as an adult he hasn’t done anything towards his own recovery, and now that Dave can no longer make his son go into treatment, he now has to serve time. Dave is terrified for his son’s safety in jail and is hugely remorseful for being an enable to his son when he was younger.
Tonight will be my first office Halloween party. I’m nervous because I don’t know what to expect. Everyone was keeping quiet on what their Halloween costumes were, because we are having a contest and everyone wants theirs to be a surprise, so I don’t know if I’ll be overdressed or underdressed. Either way it’s kind of a scary thought.
We’re having the party tonight after the store closes (closing time is 6pm). The ones who don’t work today (like me) are supposed to come around 7pm, to give the closers time to get cleaned up and get dressed in their own costumes. We don’t have a big store or anything, so there shouldn’t be many people, which is good — I’m not very good around lots of people.
Possibly part of my problem is that I feel rather exposed in my costume. I got fairy wings and put together a fairy costume with a ballerina-looking outfit, and I’m going to paint around my eyes with glitter makeup, like circus paint or the way masquerade masks look (you know, the little gold half-masks, except mine will be silver).
If you want to see how I’m doing my makeup, here’s a how-to video of how to create a fairy makeup look:
Besides the costume contest, we’re also going to play a few Halloween games and, of course, pig out on lots of candy. A few of us are planning on hitting the bars afterward.
I guess it should be fun. I just hope I can stop feeling this nervous at some point tonight!
Spas and hot tubs used to be these big, bulky things that were difficult to set up and hard to maintain. With advances in technology, the day of the ugly hot tub is gone. Now you can take your hot tub with you, anywhere you want to go thanks to the advent of portable spas. Imagine sitting in a hot tub while you are camping in your RV, staring up at the stars while relaxing in the warm, bubbling water, your stress floating away with the mountain breeze. As long as you have a 110-volt outlet available, it’s a real possibility. Portable hot tubs come in various makes and models, with a starting price of around $700. A Pool and Spa News article republished by BNET Business Network states that “portable spas are becoming increasingly mainstream” with today’s models being “armed with state-of-the-art features.” Inflatable hot tubs have become extremely popular due to the ease of set up and lower prices. Other Spa-in-a-box versions, while requiring a bit more set-up, offer a faux wood look for a more finished look. Still others are made of vinyl and finished to look like sandstone. Most can seat at least 4 people and come with at least a 1hp motor to power the jets. If a portable spa is a viable option for you there are many hot tub dealers who carry several different models with a price range for every budget.
If you are sending your employees on a business trip to New England — say, to attend a conference or training or to meet with representatives from another company — you should seriously consider putting them up at a New England bed and breakfast, rather than doing the typical hotel or motel.
Motels and low-end hotels aren’t the way to go at all, because your employees need things such as Internet access. Also, putting them up at the cheapest possible place isn’t a good idea, because it sends a message to your employees that you are a cheapskate — which is not what anyone wants in a boss.
Business-class hotels have great service and business necessities such as computers, printers, fax machines, and WiFi. However, business-class hotels still pale in comparison to the luxuries of, say, a New Hampshire bed and breakfast. B&Bs tend to have more privacy and better amenities than a large business-class hotel — which means your employees can get more work done, and still feel comfortable about it.
Vermont bed and breakfasts also offer excellent breakfasts, which saves your employees the trouble of deciding where to eat in the mornings — and saves you the trouble of paying for yet another meal. Also, putting them up at a B&B tells them you care and that you’d like them to also be able to enjoy the trip — and happy employees make productive employees.
Besides, since you can always deduct the trip as business expenses, the more important question is, why shouldn’t you put your employees up at a B&B?
There are several reasons why every woman should get herself a college education. The first of course, is financial independence. There is evidence to prove that a person with a college education can earn double the amount a high school graduate can earn over his or her lifetime. In these days of rising prices, it’s hard to maintain any kind of monetary independence if you’re still stuck at the same salary that you were drawing two years ago. A college degree enables a woman to better her career prospects and earning potential, significantly.
Plus, there’s the added confidence that having a college education can give you. Being around people from a diverse set of backgrounds gives you a chance to enhance your personality. You’re less likely to be subject to abuse because you have the confidence of the knowledge that you can make it on your own, even without a man in your life.
For women belonging to certain communities in the country, getting a college education has always been a little harder, because of cultural factors. Moslems for instance, are less likely to feel comfortable in the mixed-sex setting that college demands. For such women, there’s the benefit of online colleges and online universities. Through these virtual learning centers, women can get anything from online nursing degrees to business and management degrees, as wall as certification in several other courses.
